Neck sling pad

ABSTRACT

A neck pad for employment with a sling of the type made use of to support a broken arm has relatively large rings at respective opposite ends through which small ends of the sling are passed and then knotted so that the sling is held in position by the knot.

United States Patent Simpson 1 Jan. 29, 1974 NECK SLING PAD 3,706,310 12/1972 Gamett 128/94 n entor: Ca H. Simpson, 24 Sat coy S 1,328,832 l/192O Hanrath 224/6 Canoga Park, Calif. 91304 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 22 Filed: Oct 2 1972 661,523 11/1936 Germany 128/94 527,910 10/1940 Great Britain [21] Appl. N0.: 294,152 103,083 l/19l7 Great Britain 128/94 52 US. Cl 128/94, 224/5 P Primary Examiner-Richard Gaudet 51 1m. 01. A611? 5/40 Assista'" Examiner-1 YaSkO [58] Field of Search 128/94, 87, 83; 224/5 P, 6,

224/11, 12 [57] ABSTRACT [56] References Cited A neck pad for employment with a sling of the type made use of to support a broken arm has relatively UNITED STATES PATENTS large rings at respective opposite ends through which 978,821 12/ 1910 Brown et a]. 224/5 P all ends of the sling are passed and then knotted so Bugge the ling is in position the knot 2,187,323 l/l940 Kelton et a1. 128/94 X 3,404,680 Gutman et al. 128/94 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures NECK SLING PAD The traditional way to support a broken arm in a cast has been by use of a cloth sling, usually triangular in shape, wherein like corners of the triangle comprising ends are tied together at the back of the neck and the third corner pinned over at the elbow to make a pocket for reception of the forearm. Such an expedient has the advantage of simplicity, a sling easy to launder, a device which is inexpensive and readily available and at low cost.

One of the difficulties, however, is that a broken arm, for example, encased in a plaster cast, becomes increasingly heavier as days and weeks pass, with virtually all of the weight being supported on a narrow band at the back of the neck to the point where the wearer finds it exhaustively tiresome. Although discomfort alone is often construed as not to be detrimental to recovery, more recent findings clearly show that ultimate healing is improved and the rate of healing advanced when the patient is at ease and does not suffer undue discomfort. Additionally, chronic discomfort in apparatus necessary for the support of a limb during healing often promotes disregard of conditions needed for safe recovery in that the afflicted person tends to dislodge the sling, for example, before the limb has healed properly and this in itself slows down recovery.

Some changes have been sought in slings of this kind as for example slings which have been tailored in some special fashion and provided with adjustable-straps in the hope of improving the character of support and comfort. Irrespective of the effectiveness of such tailored-made slings, they tend to become difficult to launder, relatively expensive, and even when well made, tend to become easily dislodged from a proper carrying position.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improved padded sling assembly for supporting a broken arm which is extremely simple in its design and construction such that the cost is relatively low and the comfort and adjustment to a proper supporting position especially dependable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved padded arm sling, the separate parts of which are relatively simple and conventional but which are so constructed as to cooperate with each other to provide an especially adequate neck pad which greatly increases the comfort of the load carried by the neck and which stays firmly in a properly adjusted position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved padded arm sling, the padded portion of which cooperates in such fashion as to easily hold the sling in properly adjusted position and which at the same time is so simple and inexpensive that once having become soiled can be readily disposed of and replaced by a new clean pad.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a padded sling assembly showing the parts in the relationship they would have when being worn by the patient.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the neck pad assembly in use and partially broken away.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a second form of the neck pad.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the device of FIG. 4 provided with a sanitary cover.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration, there is shown an arm sling 10 for supporting a forearm 11 which may be encased in a plaster cast. The arm sling is of such form as to provide a cradle portion 12 in which the forearm is cradled and ends 13 and 14 which, on frequent occasions, may be corners of a substantially triangular cloth sling.

A neck pad indicated generally by the reference character 17 is shown as a pad assembly consisting of a backing 18 and a foam pad 19. The backing 18 although flexible from the point of view of yielding to bending about its longitudinal axis, is at the same time of relatively stiff consistency from the point of view of yielding in a plane parallel to the backing itself. One material found suitable for such a backing is commonly designated as paper canvas. A material of this kind, for example, acts much like a piece of sheet metal in that although it can be rolled in one direction or another, will not be capable of distortion in its own plane. The backing l8 and foam pad 19 are fastened together by a suitable adhesive whereby to make a composite neck pad which has the same resistance to flexure in a plane parallel to the plane of the backing itself but which is capable of bending as would be necessary when the neck pad is bent around the curvature at the back of the neck.

At one end of the composite neck pad is a ring 20 and there is a similar ring 21 at the opposite end. In this embodiment, the ring 20 is retained by a bracket 22, the bracket being anchored to the backing 18 by some appropriate fastening media such as a dependable adhesive. A similar bracket 23 secures the ring 21 to the opposite end of the backing. It is significant that the rings 20 and 21 are pivotally secured to the respective brackets so that they can swing up or down in yieldable fashion and adjust themselves to the direction of application of the ends 13 and 14 of the arm sling 10.

In use, the forearm 11 is laid in the cradle portion 12 of the arm sling and the ends 13 and 14 are threaded through the respective rings 20 and 21 to provide a substantial tying portion. The ends are then pulled through the rings for enough to have the forearm rest in a proper comfortable position when the foam pad 19 is resting at the back of the neck. When such an adjustment has been determined, the ends are tied in a knot 24. In use, the pad 19 yields to the contour of the neck and the vertebra of the spine and, in effect, becomes fixed in the selected position. At the same time the knot 24 is firmly tied in a position over the backing 18 and intermediate the rings 20 and 21, the adjustment of the sling with relation to the neck pad is fixed. The knot is too big to be drawn through either of the rings and, hence, although there is a limited opportunity for some sliding action in a distance equal to the distance between the ring and the knot, the ring will block any further shifting in position of the knotand, consequently, will prevent the sling from moving out of adjustment.

Some modest amount of shifting is needed and this, of course, is provided by the length of the pad assembly being slightly longer than the long dimension of the knot 24.

By reason of the pad being made of a yieldable foam, preferably of some commercial form of synthetic plastic resin, the foam will take the shape given to it by the contour of the neck and once having taken that shape, will tend to remain in precisely that location on the neck, in that way to firmly preserve the arm sling in the selected position of adjustment.

In another form of the device, there is shown a neck pad assembly indicated generally by the reference character 27 consisting of a backing 28 and a foam pad 29, the backing and foam pad being of the same character as heretofore described and adhesively secured together in a similar fashion. On this occasion there is a tab 30 protruding endwardly from one end of the backing and a similar tab 31 at the other end. Each tab is provided with a grommet 32 through which an aperture 33 extends. The apertures are of sufficient size to slideably accept the respective ends 13, 14 of the arm sling so as to be knotted in the rear of the backing in the same manner as previously described. It is significant that the tabs are flexible to the extent of being able to swing up or down to accommodate the ends when in use.

When there is occasion for some sanitary need or a dressing up of the pad assembly, the pad assembly of either form of the invention may be provided with a sock 35 having suitable openings 36 and 37 to accommodate such things as the tabs 30 and 31 or the rings and 21, the sock being such that it can be laced in position when in use.Should the sock become soiled and require replacement, lacing 38 can be removed, the sock removed for either laundering or disposal and a new sock applied. Acceptable socks are those made out of conventional gauze or other appropriate fabric.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what is conceived to be a practical and effective embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

the backing, a relatively soft and yieldable sheet of material on one side of the backing forming a pad assembly, and a fixture at each end of the pad assembly extending beyond the end of said sheet of material in a longitudinal direction and having an aperture therethrough for reception of a respective end of the sling, said ends being freely foldable in all directions and having a length long enough so that when tied together to form a knot the knot is too big to slide through either aperture.

2. An arm sling assembly as in claim 1 wherein the backing is flexible only in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the backing and the relatively soft sheet material is a synthetic plastic resin foam.

3. An arm sling assembly as in claim 1 wherein the fixtures are flexible tabs of backing material at each end of the assembly with said apertures extending therethrough.

4. An arm sling assembly for supporting an injured arm of a person in a position of rest across the forepart of the body comprising a fabric sling having a midportion forming a cradle support for the arm, said cradle having ends freely foldable in all directions and of length adapted to pass around and be tied behind the neck, a neck pad comprising a relatively rugged backing with a foam sheet of synthetic plastic resin material anchored to one face of the backing and forming a composite pad assembly, and a fixture flexibly mounted on and extending beyond each end of the pad assembly in a longitudinal direction and having an aperture therethrough, said fixtures when in operative position being bent to locations wherein the respective apertures lie above the plane of the backing, each end of said fabric sling when in use extending through a respective aperture and making a knot with the other end of size too large to pass through either aperture whereby to hold the pad assembly at a selected location on the back of the neck. 

1. An arm sling assembly comprising a pad and an arm sling having ends adapted to be passed around the back of the neck, said pad comprising a backing which is relatively stiff in a direction parallel to the plane of the backing, a relatively soft and yieldable sheet of material on one side of the backing forming a pad assembly, and a fixture at each end of the pad assembly extending beyond the end of said sheet of material in a longitudinal direction and having an aperture therethrough for reception of a respective end of the sling, said ends being freely foldable in all directions and having a length long enough so that when tied together to form a knot the knot is too big to slide through either aperture.
 2. An arm sling assembly as in claim 1 wherein the backing is flexible only in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the backing and the relatively soft sheet material is a synthetic plastic resin foam.
 3. An arm sling assembly as in claim 1 wherein the fixtures are flexible tabs of backing material at each end of the assembly with said apertures extending therethrough.
 4. An arm sling assembly for supporting an injured arm of a person in a position of rest across the forepart of the body comprising a fabric sling having a midportion forming a cradle support for the arm, said cradle having ends freely foldable in all directions and of length adapted to pass around and be tied behind the neck, a neck pad comprising a relatively rugged backing with a foam sheet of synthetic plastic resin material anchored to one face of the backing and forming a composite pad assembly, and a fixture flexibly mounted on and extending beyond each end of the pad assembly in a longitudinal direction and having an aperture therethrough, said fixtures when in operative position being bent to locations wherein the respective apertures lie above the plane of the backing, each end of said fabric sling when in use extending through a respective aperture and making a knot with the other end of size too large to pass through either aperture whereby to hold the pad assembly at a selected location on the back of the neck. 